Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Soil in Criminal and Environmental Forensics pp 15–23Cite as

Forensic Palynology: How Pollen in Dry Grass Can Link to a Crime Scene

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Soil Forensics ((SOFO))

Abstract

This chapter describes a homicide case of a baby and the forensic potential of pollen in dry grass. Dry grass is a good source for pollen. Pollen analysis gave a very characteristic pollen assemblage, dominated by grass pollen and a fungal spore. The dry grass in which the baby’s corpse was embedded could be traced back to the crime scene. An accompanying investigation of various dry grass samples showed that each one had a unique pollen assemblage. This case reintroduced Forensic Palynology to Austria.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   229.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Brown AG (2006) The use of forensic botany and geology in war crimes investigations in NE Bosnia. Forensic Sci Int 163:204–210

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brown CA (2008) Palynological techniques, 2nd ed. In: Riding JB, Warny S (eds). American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists Foundation, Dallas, TX, 137 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown AG, Smith A, Elmhurst O (2002) The combined use of pollen and soil analyses in a search and subsequent murder investigation. J Forensic Sci 47:614–618

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant VM (2007) A honey of a deal. American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists. Newsletter 40:18–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant VM, Mildenhall DC (1998) Forensic palynology: a new way to catch crooks. In: Bryant VM, Wrenn JW (eds) New developments in palynomorph sampling, extraction, and analysis, Contribution series 33. American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists. Foundation, Houston, pp 145–155

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant VM, Jones JG, Mildenhall DC (1990) Forensic palynology in the United States of America. Palynology 14:193–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant VM, Jones JG, Mildenhall DC (1996) Chapter 23: 23G – forensic studies in palynology. In: Jansonius J, McGregor DC (eds) Palynology: principles and applications, vol 3. American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists Foundation, Texas, pp 957–959

    Google Scholar 

  • Erdtman G (1960) The acetolysis method. Sven Bot Tidskr 54:561–564

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawksworth DL, Wiltshire PEJ (2011) Forensic mycology: the use of fungi in criminal investigations. Forensic Sci Int 206:1–11

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Horrocks M, Walsh KAJ (2001) Pollen on grass clippings: putting the suspect at the scene of the crime. J Forensic Sci 46:947–949

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Horrocks M, Coulson SA, Walsh KAJ (1998) Forensic palynology: variation in the pollen content of soil surface samples. J Forensic Sci 43:320–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mildenhall DC (1989) Deer velvet and palynology: an example of the use of forensic palynology in New Zealand. Tuatara 30:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Mildenhall DC (2004) An example of the use of forensic palynology in assessing an alibi. J Forensic Sci 49:312–316

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mildenhall DC (2006a) Hypericum pollen determines the presence of burglars at the scene of the crime: an example of forensic palynology. Forensic Sci Int 163:231–235

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mildenhall DC (2006b) An unusual appearance of a common pollen type indicates the scene of the crime. Forensic Sci Int 163:236–240

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mildenhall DC (2008) Civil and criminal investigations The use of spores and pollen. SIAK J 4:35–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Mildenhall DC, Wiltshire PEJ, Bryant VM (2006) Forensic palynology: why do it and how it works. Forensic Sci Int 163:63–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller Coyle H (ed) (2005) Forensic botany. Principles and applications to criminal casework. CRC Press, Boca Raton, 318 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Montali E, Mercuri AM, Grandi GT, Accorsi CA (2006) Towards a “crime pollen calendar”- Pollen analysis on corpses throughout one year. Forensic Sci Int 163:211–223

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan RM, Allen E, Lightowler ZL, Freudiger-Bonzon J, Bull PA (2008) A forensic geoscience framework and practice. Policing 2:185–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newton PN, Fernandez FM, Placon A, Mildenhall DC, Green MD, Li Z-Y, Christophel EM, Phanouvong S, Howells S, McIntosh E, Laurin P, Blum N, Hampton CY, Faure K, Nyadong L, Soong CWR, Santoso B, Wang Z-G, Newton J, Palmer K (2008) A collaborative epidemiological investigation into the criminal fake artesunate trade in South East Asia. PLoS Med 5(2), e32. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050032

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Stanley EA (1992) Application of palynology to establish the provenance and travel history of illicit drugs. Microscope 40:149–152

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Szibor R, Schubert C, Schöning R, Krause D, Wendt U (1998) Pollen analysis reveals murder season. Nature 395:449–450

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vánky K (2012) Smut fungi oft the world. APS Press, American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MI, 1458 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Wall NA, Reinhard KJ, Okoye MI (2004) Forensic analysis of a recent homicide case: usage of palynology to help determine time and location of death. Polen 14:115

    Google Scholar 

  • Walsh KAJ, Horrocks M (2008) Palynology: its position in the field of forensic science. J Forensic Sci 53:1053–1060

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wiltshire PEJ (1993) Environmental profiling and forensic palynology: background and potential value to the criminal investigator. Handbook for the national crime and operations faculty with the British association for human identification

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiltshire PEJ (2006a) Consideration of some taphonomic variables of relevance to forensic palynological investigation in the United Kingdom. Forensic Sci Int 163:173–182

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wiltshire PEJ (2006b) Hair as a source of forensic evidence in murder investigations. Forensic Sci Int 163:241–248

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the open-mindedness and assistance for forensic palynology by the police and in particular the crime scene officers from “Landespolizeidirektion Niederösterreich, Landeskriminalamt”. We are very grateful for good collaboration, which plays an important role in re-establishing forensic palynology in Austria. We would also like to thank Mag. Philpp Preusche providing us excellent tools for graphic data output and for discussions. Thanks are also due to all the collectors of dry grass for their prompt sampling.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Structural and Functional Botany, Faculty Centre of Biodiversity, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, A–1030, Vienna, Austria

    Martina Weber & Silvia Ulrich

Authors
  1. Martina Weber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Silvia Ulrich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martina Weber .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fac. of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Henk Kars

  2. Netherlands Forensic Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands

    Lida van den Eijkel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Weber, M., Ulrich, S. (2016). Forensic Palynology: How Pollen in Dry Grass Can Link to a Crime Scene. In: Kars, H., van den Eijkel, L. (eds) Soil in Criminal and Environmental Forensics. Soil Forensics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33115-7_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation